Optical imaging methods

Abstract

Abstract There is disclosed an apparatus for real-time imaging of cortical intrinsic signals or imaging tumor tissue or the margins, dimensions and grade of tumor tissue, comprising, a means for obtaining analog video images and a means for processing the analog video signals into either an averaged control frame or a subsequent frame, a means for acquiring and analyzing a plurality of subsequent frames and averaged control frame to provide a difference image, wherein the difference image is processed to account for movement and noise and amplify the changes across a dynamic range of the apparatus, and a means for displaying the difference image alone or superimposed over an analog video image. The present invention further provides a method for imaging margins, grade and dimensions of solid tumor tissue located in an area of interest, comprising illuminating the area of interest with high intensity, emr (electromagnetic radiation) containing the wavelength of emr absorbed by a dye, obtaining a video signal of the area of interest as an averaged control image and processing the averaged control image into the averaged control frame, administering the dye by bolus injection into a vein circulating to the area of interest, obtaining a series of video images of the area of interest over time as subsequent images and processing each subsequent image as a subsequent frame, comparing each subsequent frame with the processed averaged control frame to obtain a series of difference images, and comparing each difference image for initial evidence of changed absorption within the area of interest which is the outline of solid tumor tissue, whereby tumor tissue is characterized by faster absorption of emr as a result of increased vascularity of solid tumor tissue and inability to clear the dye as fast as normal tissue. The present invention further comprises a method for optically imaging functional and dysfunctional areas of interest of the cortex in an awake or anesthetized patient comprising illuminating the area of interest with high intensity emr containing the near-infrared wavelengths of emr, obtaining a video signal of the area of interest as an averaged control image and processing the averaged control image as an averaged control frame, administering a paradigm to the patient to stimulate an intrinsic signal, obtaining a series of video signals of the area of interest over time as subsequent images and processing each subsequent image into a subsequent frame, comparing each subsequent frame with the processed averaged control frame to obtain a series of difference images, and comparing each difference image for initial evidence of an intrinsic signal within the area of interest, whereby an intrinsic signal is characterized by a change in reflectance properties manifest as a signal in the difference image.

Inventors

• 👤 Daryl Hochman
• 👤 Michael M. Haglund

Bibliographic Details